Advantages

Disadvantages

Helping making sleeping easier

I am one of those unfortunate people who suffer from night terrors. I believe I have always had this problem but over the last few years they have been getting worse and causing a bit of a strain on my marriage. Obviously it is not much fun to be woken up in the middle of the night with someone screaming and lashing out.

The night terrors get worse with tiredness and stress. On the build up to our wedding you can imagine things got increasingly worse and I decided to speak with my doctor. I was basically told that I needed sedating! By being given a brief understanding of what causes the terrors it becomes easier to find a way to try and control them.

My doctor suggested putting me on a course of sleeping tablets but advised against it due to them being highly addictive. I decided to look into herbal options to see if they would help me at all.

I first of all tried Bachs Rescue Remedy - a product designed to calm you in stressful situations. The product is not cheap; it costs between £5 to £6 for a small 10ml bottle but you only need a couple of drops on your tongue when you feel stressed. The product doesn't taste great but it's only a couple of drops so it's not unbearable. It reminds me of a whisky kind of taste. Each night when I went to bed I put 4 drops on my tongue, read my book for a while then went to sleep. The first few nights went well and I slept quietly and without any disturbance but it then all began to happen again. It did help reduce the frequency of the terrors but didn't stop it all together.

I have used Bachs Rescue Remedy before. The last time I used it was for my driving test, it worked and I passed. I think this product is great, it may be a kind of placebo but it does help calm you down when you are feeling a bit wound up.

As our wedding approached my terrors got worse and more frequent and I was finding it harder to get to sleep and if I woke up in the night I couldn't get back to sleep. I went to Tesco and found Tesco Herbal Sleep Aid. The product was cheaper than the Bachs product, for 60 tablets it was only about £2 or £3. The product suggests taking 2 tablets half an hour before going to sleep. Having never taken any form of sleeping tablet before, herbal or otherwise, I decided only to take one and see how it made me feel.

I took one tablet half an hour before going to bed and when I went to bed I fell asleep straight away, the first time for weeks. I slept soundly throughout the night. When I woke up the next morning I did feel a little groggy for about half an hour but I was then fine. I continued to take the tablets each night before going to bed and my terrors subsided. My husband did tell me I was still moving around and murmuring a bit but he was just pleased I was not longer waking up in a panic or climbing across him trying to get out of bed.

I don't take the tablets on a regular basis now but I do still take them when I feel anxious or over tired. They have really helped with my sleeping and night terrors. I have recommended them to friends and family who are struggling to get a good nights sleep and because they are herbal I don't feel it would damage my health or theirs.

The main ingredients in Tesco Herbal Sleep Aid are - hops, valerian and passion flower. All of which are natural sedatives. I would also like to mention that they shouldn't be taken with alcohol and you should read the information leaflet before taking them.

I hope this helps anyone who is looking for a good night sleep.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Insomnia? It?s no fun, is it? Only last night I was up until almost two o?clock as I just couldn?t sleep, and as I?ve tried some bizarre methods to get some shut eye in the past, I thought I probably ought to write an opinion on the subject. Of course, most people will have heard the old chestnut that counting sheep will send you to sleep, but believe me, it just aint true. Counting those fluffy little bodies (mine are usually jumping in and out of a sheep pen) takes far too much effort and concentration, resulting in your mind being far too active for sleep? The theory is good, that thinking about a boring subject will send you off to sleep, but in practice counting sheep is unlikely to work for the majority of people. Lets face it, we might joke about the odd sleepless night, but if you?ve gone for any length of time without getting enough sleep you?ll know how completely debilitating it can be (I?ll bet all of you new parents are nodding your heads right now!) It?s tempting to take a trip to the doctor for some sleeping pills, but I?d recommend exploring every other avenue first, before relying on chemicals to knock you unconscious at night! For instance, you could always try Nytol? Nytol is, in fact, actually an antihistamine that has been allowed to be marketed for its sedative side effects. Personally, I?ve used Nytol in the past when I?ve been absolutely desperate to sleep, only it didn?t help me to get to sleep any more quickly or easily at all. Perhaps it?s just me, maybe Nytol knocks you out in seconds, but the only effect that I found from using it is that I feel even more like death the morning after, a little like somebody had replaced my brain with used cat litter during the night? Of course, whilst we?re on the subject of artificially assisted sleep, you might remember a product that used to be advertised quite heavily on TV several years ago, called Night Nurse. Though not advertised as such, many people were aware that this product, and similar brands, also had a sedative affect and could help you off to sleep, whether you have a cold or not! If you?re absolutely desperate for a good night?s sleep, you could always give it a try. However, I would advise strong caution in using cough medicines as a sleep aid. The reason for this is that I used to work in a company with a 24 hour shift structure. My boss at the time was marvellous, best boss I?ve ever had, but she really struggled to sleep during the daylight hours when we were on night shift. Eventually, she discovered the joys of cough medicine as a sleep-aid? Eventually it transpired that she came to depend on the cough medicine so much that she couldn?t get to sleep without it? The problem sorted itself out when she started working 9 to 5 again, but if she?d continued working shifts for much longer, well, I dread to think what might have happened. Of course, Lavender is said to possess similar sedative properties (though you?re supposed to smell it, not ingest it!) You can buy all kinds of lavender sleep aids, such as pillows, cushions, wheat heat packs with lavender, and lavender essential oils to dab on your pillow. Personally, I?ve never noticed any significant difference when using lavender, but it can?t hurt to try, and it sure does smell good! If relaxation is key to restful sleep, then products that aid relaxation should work wonders, shouldn?t they? Personally, I?ve never tried listening to whale music or sounds of the rain forest to help me sleep, but I should imagine that they?d be pretty effective in helping you to sleep. I?ve listened to them in our local book shop, and the sounds are non-intrusive, backgrounds noise, certainly worth a try! However, any calm and relaxing musi c should have the same effect, and my husband absolutely swears by comedy to sleep to, it takes his mind off his problems and allows him to go to sleep smiling? He listens to ?I?m Sorry I Haven?t a Clue? on his CD player every single night! Other ways you could try of relaxing are taking a warm (not hot) bath just before bedtime, use a lavender bath product for extra sleep-inducing power! A warm, milky drink is also said to aid restful sleep, but be careful to avoid tea and coffee (also Cola) at bedtime, as the caffeine will certainly hinder sleepiness. But if it?s hunger pangs that are keeping you awake at night, for heavens sake don?t suffer with them! Getting up to eat a light snack could be just what you need to help you sleep, just make sure that you don?t choose something too heavy to munch on? Cheese might not give you nightmares (as my mum used to assure me it would) but it will lie heavy on your stomach, which won?t help in your quest for sleep. A girl I used to know, a dancer, swore by gentle exercise as the perfect means of winding down for sleep. I asked her if she was referring to sex? She assured me that this would probably work perfectly (especially for you blokes out there!) but wasn?t actually what she meant. She demonstrated a series of stretches for the back, shoulders and neck that I tried myself that very night, and had the best sleep I?d had in ages! Basically, she advised me to find something to lean on that?s just over waist height, I use my banister, but a desk, chair back or table top would work just as well. Then she showed me how to lean forward (with my hands supported on the banister) and arch my back like a cat (you should be looking at your legs at this point), hold the position for a slow count of five, before allowing my back to flatten out until it?s stretched flat like a table top, and I?m facing forwar ds, with my neck flexed very slightly back. You should hear my back and shoulders click when I do this one!!! Another friend, a masseuse this time, showed me some neck exercises, including rotating my head from my right shoulder, letting it fall back (gently, please, don?t fling your head about, control it) continuing onto my left shoulder before letting it fall forward onto my chest? and repeat! This should be done slowly and in a controlled manner (can?t stress that enough, don?t want you to hurt yourselves!) Then to make sure that you?re as relaxed as possible, she recommends scrunching your shoulders up to your ears a few times. Disclaimer time ? I?m not recommending that you try these exercises, just telling you what I do! And if you do decide to try them, go gently, don?t injure yourself for heavens sake, coz that?ll stop you from sleeping if nothing else does! There are various other relaxation techniques that might help. An old boss of mine once taught my whole team a technique that I?ve found effective in the past. You need to lie flat on your back in bed, then imagine yourself at the top of an escalator, going downwards (if your scared of escalators, imagine that you?re floating effortlessly down a long staircase!) Whilst you?re imaging this, start tensing each of your muscles for a few seconds at a time, starting with the top of your head, before releasing, then moving on to the muscles in your face, moving down to your jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, etc, etc, etc, until you?ve tensed and released every muscle in your body, then repeat! Eventually, as your mind begins to drift, allow yourself to reach the bottom of the escalator (or stairs for you scaredy cats) and step off into the most perfectly relaxing place you can possibly imagine. Personally, my perfect place is a gorgeous, green meadow with a stream running through it, a wood off to one side, and mountains in t he background, shrouded in mist? You might prefer a secluded beach, a woodland glade or mountain retreat, hell, your perfect place might even be the gents toilets at Heathrow airport, it doesn?t matter, so long as you?re imagining somewhere that feels relaxing, as spending time in your ?perfect place? really does help you to drift pleasantly into sleep! Of course, if it?s a snoring partner that?s stopping you from sleeping, then no amount of stretching or relaxation tapes is going to help you. You could always try separate bedrooms! But if that?s too much for you, there are still solutions that might work for your snorer. Personally, as my husband and I could both snore for England, we?ve tried pretty much everything going in an effort to cure the problem. Sometimes rolling a snorer into a different position will help, my husband snores less on his side, but he swears that the only thing that stops me snoring is if he rolls me over so that I?m laying face down in the pillow? think he might be trying to stop me snoring permanently! We?ve tried Snoreeze, a herbal spray you squirt down the back of your throat, with moderate success? It does cut down on the snoring, but it?s expensive (at nearly £15 for a months supply) and to be honest it makes me feel sick, I can?t stand the taste, or the odd sensation of tightness it leaves in my throat! I?ve also bought some snore-retarders from betterware (£5 for two) which are worn up the nose? Seriously? They?re little U shaped rubber objects with soft rubber balls at the ends which are supposed to press on the septum, thus clearing the airways and alleviating snoring. They?re reasonably easy to use, though uncomfortable until you get used to them, and they do help to cut down the snoring, but the main problem I?ve found with these is that because I?m a relatively restless sleeper, they tend to fall out during the night? Not too plea sant when you wake up with one of these covered in bogey?s stuck to your forehead first thing in the morning, I can tell you! As a last resort, there is an operation available that removes some of the soft tissue at the back of the throat, that vibrates, resulting in snoring. However, this is said to be pretty painful, and not always effective. You have been warned! Although it can be tempting to take a siesta during the afternoon when lunch has made you lethargic, this should be avoided if you?re having trouble sleeping at night, as it will make you less tired, and more likely to have another sleepless night later. Instead, try struggling to stay awake during the day, but going to bed in the evening as soon as you begin to feel sleepy? Don?t fight it, even if it?s eight o?clock and Eastenders is about to start! If you force yourself to stay awake when your body tells you that it?s time to sleep, it will respond by agreeing with you! You?ll stop feeling sleepy, then later when you try to get to sleep you won?t be able to! Tiredness comes in cycles, if you miss one you'll have to wait for the next one to come round. Is your bedroom too cluttered? You might find that all of that clutter is clogging up your thoughts, too, making sleep difficult? Trying dejunking your bedroom and see if that helps. Some reports suggest that electrical equipment produces negative ions that inhibit sleep, so if possible remove as many electrical items from the bedroom as possible (though I?m not suggesting you use that as an excuse to throw the alarm clock out of the nearest window!) It?s still worth a thought, even if you?re sceptical about the ions! Many experts claim that the bedroom should be a sanctuary, used only for sex and sleeping, as anything else (especially watching TV or studying) keeps the mind too active for sleep. Having said that, keeping a slightly dull book on you r bedside table might be just the sedative you need to help you nod off at night! Feng Shui experts claim that a mirror directly reflecting the bed contributes to disturbed nights, so if your dressing table is facing the bed try removing it, or covering the mirror at bedtime. If your bedroom walls are covered in busy wallpaper, try redecorating in restful, neutral tones. Colour therapists claim that green is good for mental strain and tiredness, creating a feeling of comfort, laziness and relaxation, so perhaps it?s time to redecorate you room in shades of lime, kiwi and apple! I?ve read recently that because the body temperature drops when you fall asleep that you should fill a hot water bottle with cold water and slip it into your pillowcase (on top of your pillow). Sleeping with your head resting on the cold-hot water bottle is said to bring your body temperature down, fooling your body into feeling sleepier quicker, and helping you to drop off in record time. Though I can?t say that I particularly fancy this idea and personally I?m not tempted to try it, the magazine claimed that it does actually work, though it isn?t particularly comfortable! However, if you?ve tried all of the above and you still can?t sleep, then the worst thing you can possibly do is just to lie there, getting more and more agitated in the endless ?I?ve got to get to sleep? but I can?t sleep? cycle that we all fall into on these occasions. No, you need to get out of bed and do something else for a while, and hopefully this should help you to feel sleepy before you know it! Most of the ideas I?ve listed above should work, you just need to be careful to choose a relaxing pastime, and not do anything that?ll keep your mind too active. And if all else fails, a sharp hammer blow to the head should knock you unconscious for a few hours at least! (disclaimer ? hi tting somebody over the head with a hammer is dangerous and could result in severe brain injury, or even death? Never hit somebody over the head with a hammer to help them sleep unless they are a trained professional, under controlled circumstances. Skittle insists that you don?t try this at home!)

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Recently I have not been sleeping very well. I don?t know what the reason is but I have put it down to coming off medication. I have tried hot baths and milky drinks before bed but these have not worked. Even drinking before bed didn?t work. I had enough and decided to take a trip to the chemist for some sleeping tablets. When I got there I asked for some Nytol. I had the choice between Nytol caplets, Nytol one-a-night and Nytol Herbal. Having taken the ?normal? Nytol caplets I decided to buy the Nytol one-a-night. For anyone who has never taken them before I will explain the difference. Basically Nytol caplets you get 16 caplets and you are advised to take one or two. One tablet contains 25mg Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP. Nytol one-a-night you also get 16 caplets and you take one tablet a night (as the name suggests!) One tablet contains 50mg Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP. So the only difference is there is double the active ingredient and you just take one tablet instead of two. When taking the Nytol caplets in the past I have always taken two and that is why I opted for the one-a night. This way I get 16 dosages instead of 8. It works out cheaper as well. Nytol caplets £2.89 Nytol One-A-Night £4.29 If you have never taken them before I suggest you go for the Nytol caplets. Everyone is different and some people may one need one of these to get a decent night sleep. If you?ve tried the Nytol caplets and normally take two then I would recommend the One-A-Night as you save money this way. Nytol One-A-Night is an antihistamine, which causes sleepiness or drowsiness and is used to help relieve temporary sleeping difficulties. As mentioned before it contains 50mg Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP. They also contain Anhydrous Lactose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maize Starch, Stearic Acid and Silicon Dioxide for anyone who needs to know. I won?t bore you with what the box looks like. You do need to know that you shouldn?t take them if you have had any allergic reaction to Diphenhydramine before. It also warns that if you have asthma, narrow angle glaucoma, gastric or intestinal obstruction, enlargement of the prostate or bladder neck obstruction then you MUST NOT take them. It also recommends that you shouldn?t take them if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. If you are taking any other medication it is best to check with the pharmacist. Although you don?t really need me to tell you this they do warn that you shouldn?t drive or operate machinery after taking them. It also tells you to avoid alcohol whilst using them. This is all common sense but I guess they have to tell us this! Nytol One-A-Night is not recommended for children under the age of 16. That?s all the warning out of the way. I can tell you how to use them now. You should take the caplet 20 minutes (with water) before you go to bed. I found them very easy to swallow. I found it helps if you do something that doesn?t require concentration. So it?s probably best not to read something taxing just before going to sleep. I have found a hot bath relaxes me but everyone is different. If you do take a caplet and you find its not working then don?t take another tablet. It maybe tempting but its not worth it! I have found them very effective and I would recommend them. After taking them I found myself getting drowsy quickly and managed to get a decent night sleep. I woke up feeling refreshed and glad that I managed more than 3 hours sleep! They are great to take if you are struggling to sleep because of jet lag or a change in your body clock. I remember last year I took one after having a week off work. I came back from visiting my friend in London. As I was driving back I realised that I needed to sleep before work that night. I took Nytol and I got to sleep no problem. However, when I woke up I still felt drowsy, as they hadn?t worn off. I have never done that since as I was like a zombie at the start of my shift (until I had a few coffees!) I have found that after 8 hours they wear of. So only take them if you are going to get at least 8 hours sleep before going to work. I have never had any major side effects but with all medication there are several you may experience. In the enclosed leaflet it states that you may experience dizziness, drowsiness, grogginess, nervousness, nausea or a dry mouth. If you do notice any of these it is best to tell the pharmacist or your doctor. The only thing I have found is I have very weird dreams. Nothing scary, just weird! That may just be me and not the tablets though! If sleeping problems persist after 2 weeks then consult your doctor. I know I will be if I?m still using them! The product licence holder is GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Brentford, TW8 9GS. UK. The manufactures are Wrafton Laboratories Ltd., Wrafton, Braunton, North Devon, EX33 2DL, UK. Tips on getting a good nights sleep:  Avoid taking naps or sleeping in the day.  Have a warm bath before going to bed.  Don?t have caffeine before going to bed.  Make sure your bed is comfortable.  Try and go to bed and the same time and get up at the same time.  Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet and at the right temperature.  If you can?t sleep after going to bed don?t just toss and turn. Get up and do something else.  Don?t go to bed unless you?re tired. I know it sounds silly but if you?re not tired then its best to stay up until you are!  Avoid exercise in the evening.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Zzzzzzz

I don't sleep all that well these days - I mean, I'm not an insomniac or anything, but I don't seem to be able to nod off for more than a few hours before I waken up. No biggie, but sometimes I just feel as though I could deal with everything so much better if I could only get a full 7-8 hours sleep in one session, y'know?

And so it was that Mrs P, who always has my very best interests at heart, told me she had an idea that could be the perfect solution. "You could be right," I ventured, "a bit of passion and a strenuous work-out last thing at night would probably do the trick." "In yer dreams!" she cuttingly remarked. "What bloomin' dreams?" I choked. "What was it Bill Shakespeare wrote? - To sleep, perchance to dream." "Aye weel, there's the rub." She replied, somewhat hammily and not a little sarcastically.

She then handed me a packet of NYTOL caplets.

In the packet are 16 caplets (a recommended dose being 1-2). The active ingredient in these caplets is 25mg Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP

NYTOL is an antihistamine, which causes sleepiness or drowsiness (which I would have thought was the desired effect). There's a quite sizeable list of conditions which deem this medicine unsuitable, but I won't list them here, you'll be glad to know. Instead, you can find all that technical stuff on their website - http://www.nytol.com/

Obviously, since this product causes drowsiness (hopefully), you're advised not to drive or operate machinery after taking them. It also tells you to avoid alcohol whilst ...WHAT? let me read that bit again. Yep, it says avoid alcohol. Bummer.

The theory is that you swallow 1 or 2 of these babies around 20 minutes or so before retiring (that's retiring as in going to bed, not as in applying for a pension and learning how to drive real slow). Then relax, get comfortable, and let your mind drift off..........

Did they work? Did they help me get a good night's sleep?

NO! And I'll tell you for why.

One of the warnings detailing people who shouldn't take these caplets is for people with asthma. That'll be me then. A more paranoid husband might have wondered at a wife who was so keen to shove a handful of these down his throat...but not me. No sir.

Anyhoo, this just goes to show that you should ALWAYS read the precautions with any medicines - I'm glad I did!

Of course, this scenario hardly helped solve my insomnolence - especially as I now have the added concern that maybe it isn't my restlessness that causes the pillow to find its way onto my face...

This review is not a total wash-out however. Mrs P has no such limitations on her medication intake, so what does she think of them?

- "They're OK."

This is why I write the reviews in this household - let's see if we can't coax a bit more of an opinion out of her.

- "I'm quite impressed with them. On the rare occasions I've taken them, I could feel myself getting drowsy fairly quickly and had no trouble dropping off to sleep. I would say I got a pretty good night's sleep and woke up feeling, if not bursting with energy, then at least quite refreshed and ready for the rigours of the coming day. There are warnings about side-effects, like dizziness and/or nausea, but I can't say that's affected me.

Although I haven't taken them that many times (and they really should only be taken as an occasional sleeping aid) I've found them effective and would have no problem recommending them to anyone else (with exceptions, obviously!). I even slept through that big tube's snortin', slabberin' an' snori...."

Aye well, I think she's made her point.

A packet of 16 NYTOL caplets costs around £2.79 and are widely available from most pharmacies.

So it was hardly a satisfactory result really. I still sleep like a baby (unfortunately it's more like a jelly baby), while Mrs P has a rare old time in the land of nod.

So, if you suffer from any of these conditions: asthma, narrow angle glaucoma, gastric or intestinal obstruction, enlargement of the prostate or bladder neck obstruction. (there are a few other conditions there) Or if you're pregnant or breast-feeding a baby, Nytol is not the solution for you.

If, on the other hand, none of the above applies, they seem to do the job they were made for, namely help you get a better sleep. So I suppose I'm recommending them, even though it was my wife who sampled the product. When you think about it, it's a recommendation, not by proxam, but by proxy.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

I have recently been finding myself kept awake a lot at night – and not in a good way, either. I experience this sort of sleeplessness periodically, when either I cannot get to sleep in the first place (“have I really been lying here for the past two hours?”) or I sleep like a baby (waking up several times during the night and finding it hard to get back to sleep again). During such times I have tried many remedies to help me get the full night’s sleep I so desperately need. First came the “traditional” methods: hot bath, milky drink and going to bed at the same time every night. Then came the tablets, not prescription ones mind, but Kalms and herbal sleeping aids and the like. They all worked to an extent, but I felt it was time to try something new. Cue a trip to Boots... On this particular visit, I came home with a little 25ml bottle of “Boots Essential Aromatherapy Peppermint & Nutmeg Sleep Easy Pillow Mist”. It was lurking in the stand of sample-size products (alongside mini Botanics and Sanctuary bottles) of all places, so my finding it was more by luck than by judgement! The bottle itself is a clear (recyclable!) plastic spray filled will a very pale pink liquid, with all the external lettering written in silver – this actually makes the label quite difficult to read in most lights, so you need to be a bit careful that you have picked up the right thing. Anyway, the idea of this stuff is that you spray a fine mist of it over your bed linen, leave it to dry for a couple of minutes, and then breathe in the vapours it releases as you lie in bed. The concept of a pillow mist was a new one to me I must admit, but I thought at only £2 it was well worth a try, especially as it didn’t involve me having to take any more tablets than I already do. I had an el ement of scepticism when it came to aromatherapy – that I probably still retain to some extent – but I was willing to give it a go. I think a natural treatment for sleeplessness has got to be preferable to either the insomnia or to sleeping tablets from the doctor, hasn’t it? **What is aromatherapy, exactly?** Unless you spent the 90s living on the moon, I am sure that you have heard of aromatherapy, even if you are not quite sure what it means. Aromatherapy is basically the art and science of using naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to promote good health. As a holistic medicine, aromatherapy is both a preventative approach as well as an active treatment for illness, and is a natural, non-invasive treatment designed to affect the whole person, not just the specific symptom or disease you are treating. It can be used to treat emotional problems (such as anxiety and nervous tension), physical problems (bruises, burns, motion sickness and so on) as well as skin problems (acne, psoriasis, etc). Aromatherapy is not designed to replace other medicines or treatments, but is rather a method to help you to take more responsibility for your own health and promote a sense of wellbeing. The aromatic essences used in aromatherapy are called essential oils. They are distilled or pressed from a variety of plant material including grasses, leaves, flowers, needles, twigs, peel, wood and roots: they can only be extracted in very small quantities, so this makes them rather expensive. The oils are very concentrated though, so you only need to use a small amount of them. They can be applied in a variety of methods depending on the condition being treated (such as massage oils, inhalations, baths and salves). The essential oils used in this pillow mist are peppermint and nutmeg. **What do peppermint and nutmeg do?** Peppermint is one of the most important and commonly used essential oils. Unsurprisingly, it smells like mint sweets (although rather more concentrated), giving it a refreshing, cool and uplifting aroma. This may seem like rather an odd choice to go into an aromatherapy spray intended to promote good sleep, but the benefit of peppermint here is that it is good for clearing your head and easing a tired mind. Although not an insomnia treatment in itself, its use here is intended to help you forget the worries of the day and prepare your mind for rest. Nutmeg, on the other hand, is well known as a natural sedative – this is why you get it added to so many nursery puddings! It is particularly well known as the topping you get on egg custard tarts of course, and anyone fond of them will recognise this rich, spicy, sweet smell immediately. Nutmeg has a calming, warming effect on the body and helps to promote restful sleep and relaxation, and so is a natural choice for such a remedy as this. When blended together in this pillow mist (with water and alcohol as a base to dilute the essential oils and help them to evaporate once sprayed), a pleasant fragrance is created. It is the nutmeg that is used in the larger quantity, and this is apparent as it dominates the aroma; the peppermint is only present as a sharp undertone to the spicy smell. After a short time, the peppermint seems to fade leaving only the warm, mellowed scent of the nutmeg. The vapours do last for quite a while, so even the most hardened insomniac should be able to drift off to the smell of egg custard tarts! **But does it work?** On the whole, I am pretty pleased with the sleep easy pillow mist. I have been using it every night for the past couple of weeks now, and found that not only do I get bedding that smells wonderfully spicy and aromatic to sleep in, but also that I have tended to get to sleep quicker and easier. Of course, it is rather hard to tell if you are actually dozing off any quicker than before, as it is quite easy to lose your perception of time in a dark room – but I can say that I don’t seem to lie there for so long feeling frustrated at not being able to sleep. The spray has not prevented me from waking in the middle of the night (the aroma has long since worn off by then), but I do feel less exhausted now, so it must be doing something right! The down side to this product is that you need to spray quite a bit of the liquid to get an aroma you can clearly smell – so it doesn’t last very long. I am already onto my second bottle, so 25ml lasts 10 to 14 days, depending on how liberal you are with it. This of course makes it quite an expensive treatment if you are going to use it in the long term, although the same is true for any product containing essential oils. Another point to bear in mind about this spray is that it is flammable, so you do need to be a bit careful about where you use and store it. Some aromatherapists do advise that peppermint essential oil should not be used during pregnancy; there is no warning about this on the bottle, but I think it would be best to check with your doctor if you are pregnant about using this pillow spray. In conclusion, I would be happy to recommend this product to try if you are having trouble getting to sleep. The great thing about it coming in such a small bottle is that you can give it a go for a relatively inexpensive price – and if it is not for you, then you really haven’t lost much. At the very least, you are going to get a bed that smells good to sleep in! **Details** A 25ml spray bottle of Sleep Easy pillow mist cost £2 and can be bought from Boots stores or through their website. Other size bottles are listed as being available in the aromatherapy section s of larger stores (100ml for around £8 as I recall), but these never seem to be in stock in my local branch. The mini bottles are always in abundance though, probably because nobody thinks of looking for them in the samples display. ;-)

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Well I started to write an opinion on sleep which took me 30 minutes pressed the wrong button and it disappeared if anyone knows how to retrieve it I would be grateful ,I know the computer keeps everything but have forgotten how to access this .Have you ever done this? talk about frustration I will need my sleep tonight to get over such wasted time. To Briefly summarise what I have already written: I slept well as a child,and did not experience Insomnia until I was an adult . My first bout of this was greeted with sleeping Tablets from the Doctor ,which only gave me indigestion. Its best not to try to sleep ,to be warm enough ,not to eat heavy meal before,bedtime ,a comfortable bed helps ,my grandmother used to sleep on a down mattress (birdfeathers)wonderful. Calcium tablets help, so do foods containing whey powder (I dont know why )I will research. I found the real secret about sleep recently,it is connected with the fact that the body does its cellular repair at night .this is under the direction of our brain,I will give the full details of this soon ,and I have found something that can protect the body from electromagnetic pollution at night ,which can undermine the body recieving the brains commands to the cells ,so how important sleep is . So the piont is in our 21st Century full of electric apparatus ,and electromagnetic inventions like mobile phones ,we are paying a price with a loss of quality to our much needed sleep ,this in turn affects the quality of our lives . As Roger Coghill shows in His book on magnet therapy in our homes every power socket and meter has a field round it when a plug is installed . So dont leave any plugs in accept your fridge if you want a good nights sleep. Also position your bed away from water heaters ,or any heaters you may have on at night . I feel so strongly about obtaining a good night ,that I have foregone the cheap tarrif fo r heating my storage heaters and water . If I wake up because its cold I put my mobile fire on for a while . it does make a difference ,I definetly get a better night . Roger Coghill also shows in His book Electro Pollution That part of our nights sleep is spent with our brain giving signals to our body to repair our cells. our brain is so like a transmitting radio station .To do its work properly the brain needs to shut all other activity down hence we sleep experiments have shown that while we sleep,the brain is very active using more oxygen and blood flow this is called *morphogenetic radiation *,it is said that cell division has a pause waiting for a signal to recommence .showing there are instructios in progress. Another fact is mentioned that if the brain is damaged in a certain area there is then continual sleep,there are a lot of scientific facts in this book . The piont He finally makes is that because sleep serves more than one purpose to give us rest ,body repair ,and dream sleep that seems more chemical in nature ,and is said to stop us losing our reason,*that the delicate apparatus is being upset by electromagnetic fields.* There are many products on the market now to correct this ,magnetic pillows magnets,for pains and insomnia. Also something new to me a *special curtaining* that can be used on babies cots to shield the infant ,because they need quality sleep especially. This is made of a metallic substance ,and can be used as net curtaining on windows.I am currently using some and it feels like the same effect as an ioniser in the room.I am trying a piece over my computer screen and am not getting my usual burning eyes. One product apart from those mentioned a super magnet. One more product produced for address below is : Pillow pad Price: £28.09 Pounds Sterling (Price Excludes VAT) Sweet dreams and deep sleep. Primarily designed to aid sleep , stress and depression, the pillow pad is also a great trav el companion. Use it a much as you can for general health and skin benefits. Contains: 18 x deep penetrating Ceramic Magnets in a beautifully quilted non-slip pad. 30cms by 45cms (12" x 18") Obtain from: Electro products Ltd http//www.maglab.co.uk

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

"Ethically wrong"

There is a product available to buy over the counter which is licenced for use in children from 3months and onwards. This product is advertised as a cold remedy and to aid restful sleep. In actual fact, giving a 3month old baby a days dose of this medicine is the equivalent to giving them a full dose of Nytol, which you cant use until you are 16!!!! This product is Medised infant!! Yes - a well known brand used by thousands of people. Medised do actually do another medicine which is licensed from one year plus - this is fine though no nytol in that one ! In the pharmacy in which i work we were so outraged we have taken it off our shelves. Although it is perfectly leagal and safe, because it wouldnt be licensed otherwise morally we dont agree with it. This is not treating the baby's cold, it is sending them to sleep whilst they get better. I dont agree with this medication. I wanted to write my opinion on this because not many people actually realize what drugs are in this medicine. I hope i have made at least one person make a better decision . . .

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

I am quite fond of a good kip. Trouble is I am a terrible insomniac, which doesn’t help. As a result I have become a bit nocturnal due to the fact that I have given up trying to sleep, and now wait till I am tired. Bedtime is usually around 1am. “But why are you telling me this Dr. Mush?” I hear you ask. Because my sleepless nights will not have been for naught if by the simple task of passing on some of my wisdom I can enable one or two other DooYooers to get some quality shut-eye. Something to do with a Hippocratic oath that I haven’t taken. Maybe I just need the miles. Anyway... So what is the secret to a good nights sleep? I don’t think there is one, but there are things you can do to help. First, the science bit; why do we sleep? Sleep is the body’s way of taking time out to repair and update – sort of an all-round servicing. However, we don’t need as much sleep as people think, generally only five hours is sufficient, any extra is a relic of hibernation. If find you can only sleep for five or six hours a night, it’s probably because that is all you need! Psychologically sleep also updates our memory banks. The reason we dream is because as we revel in the land of nod our brains are (basically) sifting through our memories and chucking out stuff we won’t use any more (I won’t go into memory rehearsal and protein stuff – save it for another review when I am really bored). Dreams correspond to those memories being thrown out (but are not necessarily the same). Interestingly, if we wake up during a dream, the memories are not thrown out, and we will have the dream again. So that’s why we sleep. What advice can Dr. Mush give on how to get it? Where to begin? Well, for starters the location is significant. It is a good idea to try to sleep in the same room each night, and ONLY SLEEP IN A ROOM DEDICATED TO THAT PURPOSE. This is a really important one – don’t sleep in a room you study or work in, because your brain will associate that room with work, and you will find it harder to sleep (conversely you will keep falling asleep when studying). Reading in bed is one thing – trying to memorise the entire works of Shakespeare is another. Now, an intermission: intermission Still awake? Good... Bedtime snacks are probably not the best idea. Although you tend to feel drowsy after a good meal (more blood is pumped to the stomach for digestion = less blood in the head = drowsy), if you eat a lot you will find it harder to sleep properly, and are likely to wake up more. As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid eating too much for the hour before bedtime – the exception to this is warm milk, which will help you sleep (but just warm milk with nothing in it, and not cold milk), and stuff like Ovaltine helps some people. Contrary to popular belief, cheese does not cause nightmares per se, but it does affect the digestion in such a way that you are more likely to wake up having eaten cheese, hence are more likely to wake up in the middle of a dream. Caffeine and stimulants speak for themselves really. For obvious reasons if you want to sleep properly, avoid coffee, tea, cola, pro plus, etc. for a couple of hours before climbing the wooden hill. Another fact for you – a lot of caffeine will actually make you sleep, but I wouldn’t recommend it –as the caffeine levels in your blood decrease they will begin to act as a stimulant and wake you up again! On a similar vein, although it may tire you out, exercise may well prevent you getting to sleep due to adrenaline in the system. Avoid going for a hefty jog late at night (especially if you live in a dodgy area). The one exception I can think of is nookie – many men find it very easy to sleep straight after, and many women even sooner (but this is not from personal experience I hasten to add!)!! If you are lying there unable to sleep, it’s best not to try – as your mind mulls over your inability to sleep, it will never happen, so do something else for a bit to clear your head. Once you stop trying, you will fall asleep. The way you lie will affect your posture, which will ultimately affect your sleep (I’ve had many a sleepless night due to a bad back). The best way to lie is on your side, if not lie on your back. Lying on your front is the worst way to lie. Related to this, your bed is so important, not only for your sleep levels, but also your physical health. Perhaps one of your most important items of furniture, make sure your bed is adequate for your needs; not too hard, and not too soft. A new mattress will help with posture and against allergies. Pillows will also follow the same rule, and need to support your head in such a way that it follows the line of your body and your neck is straight. If you are sitting somewhere comfy (say on the sofa after lunch) or are ready for bed, and you begin to feel sleepy, don’t try fighting it unless you absolutely have to stay awake – if you begin to fall asleep it is for a good reason! Take advantage of the opportunity. This is situation dependant, for example I wouldn’t recommend shut-eye while driving. If you find that a siesta has a detrimental effect on your nighttime sleep, then avoid it, and learn to power sleep. A power sleep is where you get 10 or 15 minutes nap, and it can be really beneficial in refreshing you for a couple of hours; its benefits are even beginning to be recognised in the workplace! Still here? Thanks for lasting this long. That’s all I can think of for this consultation – hope my shared knowledge comes in handy! If I can think of anything more I’ll add it later. What was that? No...no charge...just drop your VUs, c rowns and Hall of Fame recommendations in the box as you leave the surgery. :) Sleep well!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

When I was an 'A' level student, I managed to land myself the ideal holiday job for any teenager - I got to sleep all day, legitimately, which left my nights free to PAAAARTY! I worked as a paid volunteer at the Psychology Department of my local University, who were, at the time, studying 'Dreams'. The job involved climbing into a hospital type bed, having my head wired up to various monitors, then simply sleeping. Only it wasn't 'simply' sleeping, since I frequently found it difficult to doze off in broad daylight, despite having tried my hardest the previous night to enjoy myself to the point of exhaustion. Anyway, the Chief Psychologist gave me a couple of failsafe tricks to combat insomnia - they worked then and I still use them today if ever I have difficulty sleeping. Lists: This works on the same principle as counting sheep. Often, people find it difficult to sleep because their brains won't 'switch off' - they find themselves endlessly mulling over problems. Thus, the trick is to occupy your mind with meaningless trivia - to literally bore yourself to sleep. You place one hand somewhere comfortable (on your chest, shoulder or a pillow) and begin to count on your fingers. I usually use girls / boys names for my lists, so I tap with each finger in turn, and on the fourth finger, say a name beginning with 'A' (I have to say it to myself otherwise I get objections from my husband). So, it's one, two, three 'Alison', one,two, three 'Albert', one two, three 'Arthur... and so on, listing as many names as you can think of. I find that I have never yet managed to get beyond the letter 'C' before...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, sorry - where was I? You can obviously use any list that appeals. As a variation, I occasionally use alphabetical lists of fruit or vegetables - except I tend to get stuck finding a fruit beginning with the letter 'E' . Fantasies. Oooh... this one is MUCH more fun! You imagine your wildest fantasy - then you make it come true. But you HAVE to start from the very beginning - no cheating and starting at the most interesting bits. It can be any fantasy you like, from being locked in an ice cream factory with Brad Pitt to sharing a hot tub with Brittney Spears, but sadly, Brad/Brittney can't just walk into your local pub and spirit you away. Oh, no! First you have to think of a feasible way to make your fantasy occur. Let's take the first example. Brad Pitt is making a new film and the location is in an ice cream factory near you. You buy a local paper and see an advert for 'extras'. You apply, are accepted and that puts you actually in the situation. Now all you have to do is work out a scenario that gets you and him locked in. I guarantee that you will (sadly) have fallen asleep before Brad gets free and easy with the chunky chocolate chip! My own personal fantasy is being stranded on a desert island with a younger, slimmer John Travolta. (Stop laughing - there's no accounting for taste!).I've managed to visit the travel agent to buy my tickets for the world cruise and sail away - I've even mentally conjured up a shipwreck in which JT and I get to share a life raft ... then...well, nothing.Tragically I go to sleep before the best bits.(Story of my life, really!) Of course, the usual rules about sleeping apply. You should have a comfortable bed,be warm enough and avoid stimulants such as coffee and alcohol.But, I promise you, both of these tricks actually work - and even if they don't, you at least get to have some fun with the man / woman of your dreams (no pun intended!) Anyone for chunky chocolate chip...?